More and more people are casting their votes for… Jed Bartlet? With The West Wing experiencing a new wave of popularity thanks to streaming, the editors of Entertainment Weekly dive deep into the secrets of the White House as they unpack Aaron Sorkin’s wonky political drama, which still resonates today. Including a cast reunion, a guide to the essential episodes, behind the scenes photos, an oral history of how the show was made, and much more, this is political programming we can all get behind.
The Ultimate Guide to the West Wing
Foreword: Bartlet for America • Four years ago EW readers voted for their favorite fictional President. The West Wing’s Jed Bartlet won in a landslide. Here’s why the country needs him again.
Part One Opener: The Bartlet Administration • ‘NEVER DOUBT THAT A SMALL GROUP OF THOUGHTFUL AND COMMITTED CITIZENS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD,’ SAID JED BARTLET. IN FACT, IT TOOK A VILLAGE TO KEEP THE PLOT HUMMING ON THE WEST WING
The Bartlet Administration
The Bartlet Family
Election Year
Command Performances • THE PEOPLE’S HOUSE IS ALSO A STAGE. AS PRESIDENTS HAVE LONG DONE, JED BARTLET HOSTED THE COUNTRY’S TOP TALENT. (AND HIS SUCCESSOR SHOWED THAT HE WOULD KEEP UP THE TRADITION)
10 Essential Episodes • Not a best-of ranking—we’re more politically savvy than that—but some key moments that capture the ethos of the Bartlet era and captivated both critics and viewers alike
Part Two Opener: How the West Wing Was Made • THE UNLIKELY TALE OF A TALKY, WONKY POLITICAL DRAMA WINNING OVER NETWORK EXECS AND CAPTI VATING A NATION, TOLD BY THE PEOPLE WHO CREATED IT. PLUS: BACKSTAGE AT THE FAUX WHITE HOUSE
The Room Where It Happened • As The West Wing prepared to say goodbyein 2006, the cast and crew talked to Entertainment Weekly about the show’s origins.
Inside the Final Season • They say laws are like sausages: better not to see how either is made. Not so of political TV dramas. Here’s how the cast and crew got the job done at the end of Bartlet’s second term
What the Writers Got Right • They invented whole countries (Hello, Qumar…), but, thanks to veteran Washington insiders, much of what we saw was accurate, down to the staff’s high hopes and windowless offices.
The Oval Office • Forbidden by the Secret Service to take photos, the show’s designers used notes and sketches from a tour to get the details right.
More Bartlet-era Artifacts!
Did This Show Predict Obama? • A long-shot minority Democrat takes on a maverick Republican in the presidential race, and—spoiler—he wins. Did The West Wing see history coming?
Fellowship of the Wing • On the 11th anniversary of the show’s 1999 debut, members of this tight-knit cast got together to reminisce—and to offer theories on where their characters ended up.
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Sound Bites
